Aerial toys that are adapted to be launched or catapulted into the air generally have been of one of two types. Some such toys are adapted to glide down from their maximum altitude, while others are adapted to descend in some type of spinning motion. Each type has its peculiar characteristics and deficiencies. The gliding toys are not generally intended to be launched or catapulted to a high altitude, because their flight characteristics will dictate a descent that is unpredictable or that takes them far away from the launch point. On the other hand, spin flight toys are generally difficult to launch to a high altitude, because the characteristics that permit a spinning descent will generally interfere with a launch to a high altitude. In addition, the mass of the toy, especially a spin flight toy, will have a significant effect on its flight characteristics. Generally, the ascending flight of a more massive toy will be easier to control than that of a less massive toy. However, the heavier toy will also tend to descend more rapidly than a lighter toy. Various techniques have been employed in attempts to take advantage of favorable flight characteristics, while addressing these and other physical deficiencies.
One type of spinning toy is designed to have descending flight characteristics that are similar to that of a helicopter. Examples of such toys are described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,399,487 of Siegler and U.S. Pat. No. 5,284,454 of Randolph. Each of these toys is provided with a generally planar body portion having a pair of folding wings that are adapted for unfolding from a closed position that is in alignment with the body portion to an open position that is perpendicular thereto. Each such toy is adapted to be launched vertically in a folded configuration using an elastomeric band. After launch and as the toy begins to fall, however, the wings unfold to the perpendicular configuration and the toy spins down in the manner of a helicopter.
Other types of spinning toys are designed to spin about any of several axes defined by their structural configurations. Thus, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,403,221 of Savage describes a flat, thin, lightweight toy that is adapted for being launched vertically using an elastomeric band. This toy has a flat elliptical-shaped head portion and a flat depending tail portion which together resemble an oval intersecting a triangle. The Savage toy is comprised of a planar, rigid material such as expanded or extruded polystyrene that is overlain with a flexible, protective outer surface member such as polypropylene packaging tape. The outer surface member overlaps the underlying rigid member so as to form an aerodynamic edge around the periphery of the rigid member. Because the Savage toy has a height greater than its width and a surface area of the head that is greater than that of the tail, it will spin, upon being launched vertically, in a flat plane about its shortest axis, and it will descend in a spiral path, accompanied by a spin about its longest axis. The Savage toy is of fairly simple construction, but it is intended to be constructed of very lightweight materials. Therefore, it may be quite fragile and not as durable as desired. In addition, since the Savage toy is designed to rotate about the short axis of its flat surface upon launch, it seems unlikely that it could attain a high altitude. Finally, the rotation about the short axis of this toy during the ascent stage of its flight presents a large surface area to any wind that may be present. This coupled with its low weight would seem to preclude ready control of its launch path.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,665,641 of Henderson describes a toy that may be more durable than the Savage toy. The Henderson toy is generally shaped like a tear-drop, having a flat upper side and a substantially flat lower side. The rear end of the toy is rounded and the side edges are diagonally tapered to a point at the front end. The lower side is provided with a rearwardly bent hook at the front end and an arcuate bulge that extends from behind the hook to approximately the longitudinal center of the body. The rear portion of the lower side of the toy is flat like the upper side. The toy of Henderson ascends upon launch in a flat plane, but as it descends, it travels in a helical path while spinning about its long axis. The Henderson toy is a rigid toy, preferably made of aluminum, wood or plastic. Such a toy might pose a danger of injury to a bystander, if it is launched in his direction.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,947,993 of Hoppe describes a flying toy in the form of an airfoil having an extremely complicated surface architecture. This toy comprises an elongated body having a nose portion, a mid-section and a trailing edge portion, and it includes a plurality of curved surfaces which vary more-or-less constantly in configuration from the nose portion rearwardly along the full longitudinal length of the elongated body. Certain of these surfaces promote spinning of the toy about its long axis during both its ascending and its descending flight, while other surfaces cooperate to spin the toy, as it descends, about its center of gravity along a second axis which traverses the long axis.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,013,277 of Hufeld describes an aerial toy having a spine with a counterweight at the front end. Attached to the spine is a flat wing in the general shape of an isosceles triangle having a rounded end opposite the front end of the spine. The toy also includes a pair of small stabilizer fins that are located in a common plane on either side of the spine at the end away from the front end, and a flap on the wing opposite the stabilizer fins. The toy of Hufeld is adapted to be launched vertically upwardly by a rubberband-type launcher, and as it descends, it apparently spins about the axis of the spine as well as about a vertical axis through its center of mass. The Hufeld toy is of a somewhat complicated design, being comprised of several different components that must be assembled together.
Several aerial toys are designed to simulate the appearance and/or the descending flight characteristics of a maple seed pod, which spins in a generally flat plane about a vertical axis through its center of mass as it descends. Among these are toys that are designed to be thrown, such as the aerial toy described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,173,069 of Litos et al. or the toy shown in U.S. Pat. No. D338,245 of Litos. Because these toys are thrown into the air, they are unlikely to reach a high altitude. Other toys of similar design are intended to be launched with an elastomeric launcher, including those shown in U.S. Pat. No. D263,247 of Harris and in U.S. Pat. No. D121,924 of Kerezi, and the toy described and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,353,295 of Downey. The Downey toy includes a square bulbous nose and a wing having a substantially straight leading edge, a curved tip and a trailing edge that is curved so as to give the wing a generally triangular shape. Upon launch, the Downey toy will climb like an arrow or bullet to a high altitude, where it will assume a horizontal attitude and begin to spin about a vertical axis through its center of mass. Because of the relatively large bulbous nose of the Downey toy, it seems unlikely that it may be launched to as high an altitude as a more streamlined toy.
All of these toys have certain undesirable characteristics, and it would be desirable if a toy could be developed that would overcome these and other failings of previously known toys.